Blacktop cutter attachment

ABSTRACT

A blacktop cutter attachment having an elongated body with a rear slot for supporting the attachment in either of two reverse positions on a lower edge of a bucket of a payloader earth moving vehicle to be guided along a blacktop surface and a pair of oppositely extending cutter fins on the cutter body having generally concave V-shaped cutting edges adapted to be selectively used for cutting the blacktop surface.

United States Patent 11 1 Lemieux BLACKTOP CUTTER ATTACHMENT [76]Inventor: Pierre C. Lemieux, 143 Edgemont Ave., West Hartford, Conn.06110 [22] Filed: Nov. 1, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 411,657

[52] US. Cl. 299/36; 172/778; 175/383 [51] Int. Cl. E0lc 23/09 [58]Field of Search .fl72/777, 778; 299/36, 67; 37/ll7.5, 141 T, 142 R, 142A; 404/89, 90,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,959,847 5/1934 Van Buskirk37/141 T 2,328,134 8/1943 Fulke 175/383 X 1451 May 27, 1975 2/1974 Riley404/74 X Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Prutzman, Hayes, Kalb & Chilton 57 ABSTRACT A blacktop cutterattachment having an elongated body with a rear slot for supporting theattachment in either of two reverse positions on a lower edge of abucket of a payloader earth moving vehicle to be guided along a blacktopsurface and a pair of oppositely extending cutter fins on the cutterbody having generally concave V-shaped cutting edges adapted to beselectively used for cutting the blacktop surface.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BLACKTOP CUTTER ATTACHMENT BRIEF SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a new andimproved blacktop cutter attachment for cutting the blacktop surface ofa roadway or the like, for example, for facilitating cutting a trench ina roadway for repairing or installing underground conduits or cables inthe roadway.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a new andimproved blacktop cutter attachment for conventional earth movingequipment for cutting a blacktop surface of a roadway or the like. Inaccordance with the present invention, the blacktop cutter attachmentmay be selectively used by simply inserting the cutter attachment asneeded, for example, on a lower edge of a bucket of a payloader.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improvedblacktop cutter attachment having a design which permits it to bereadily installed as needed on a lower edge of a blade or bucket ofconventional earth moving equipment.

It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide a new andimproved blacktop cutter attachment having a rugged and economicalconstruction and which may be easily sharpened and maintained asnecessary.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improvedblacktop cutter attachment having a plurality of selectively useablecutter blades.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from thefollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawing ofillustrative embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the Drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a blacktop cutterattachment present the presnet invention installed on a lower edge of abucket of a payloader;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation view of the blacktop cutterattachment, additionally partly showing in broken lines a modifiedembodiment of the cutter attachment;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the blacktop cutter attachment; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged rear end elevation view of the blacktop cutterattachment, also partly showing in broken lines the modified embodimentof the cutter attachment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing indetail, an embodiment 10 of a blacktop cutter attachment incorporatingthe present invention is shown in FIG. 1 installed on a lower forwardedge 12 of a bucket 14 of an earth moving vehicle 16 of the typegenerally known as a payloader. In accordance with the presentinvention, the blacktop cutter attachment 10 may be similarly mounted onthe lower forward edge of a blade or bucket of other types ofconventional earth moving equipment such that, for example, where atrench is to be dug in a blacktop roadway or the like, some type ofconventional earth moving equipment on which the blacktop cutter can bemounted will typically be available and a vehicle will not have to bespecially provided or modified for that purpose.

The blacktop cutter attachment 10 comprises an elongated blade supportbody or guide 20 having a width of, for example, about eight inches anda rear slot 22 extending transversely entirely across the cutter body 20for receiving the lower forward edge 12 of the blade or bucket of anearth moving vehicle as heretofore described. The rear slot 22 has adepth of, for example, about 5 to 6 inches which is sufficient toadequately support the blacktop cutter attachment 10 on the lowerforward edge 12 and such that the cutter body 20 can be mounted on thesupporting vehicle to extend generally parallel to the blacktop surfaceand to be effective to guide the cutter attachment along the blacktopsurface. The height and angle of the lower edge 12 of the vehicle wouldaccordingly be suitably adjusted to properly position the blacktopcutter attachment 10 to be so guided along the blacktop surface. Also, aforward end or nose 26 of the cutter body 20 is formed to provide upperand lower inclined working faces 28 to facilitate guiding the black-topcutter 10 along the blacktop surface, keep the cutter body 20 above theblacktop surface and prevent the cutter body 20 from inadvertentlydigging into the blacktop surface.

A pair of generally rectangular and flat coplanar fins or blades 30,31are mounted centrally on the cutter body 20 on opposite sides thereof toextend substantially perpendicular from the opposed parallel faces 32 ofthe cutter body 20.

The cutter fins 30, 31 are made of a suitable steel to provide good lifeand are suitably secured, for example, welded to the cutter body 20.Alternatively, each cutter fin 30, 31 may be mounted in a conformingslot 34 in the cutter body 20 and locked in place by suitable removablepins or bolts, for example, as the cutter fin 31 is shown in brokenlines in FIGS. 2 and 4, such that each cutter fin 30, 31 could beremoved and replaced in the field as necessary and both ends of eachcutter fin 30, 31 could be formed with a suitable cutting edge as thecutter fin 31 is shown in broken lines in FIG. 2.

Each of the cutter fins 30, 31 is formed with a forward cutting edge 40(and if the fins 30, 31 are removable as heretofore described, the rearend of each fin 30, 31 may also be formed with a cutting edge 41 as thecutter fin 31 is shown in broken lines in FIG. 2). The cutting edge 40(and cutting edge 41) is generally concave and is preferably formed witha generally V-shape with the internal apex 42 of the cutting edge at apoint less than one-half the width of the cutter fin 31 and also at adistance from the cutter body 20 equal to about one-half the thicknessof the blacktop surface. Accordingly, the inner and outer inclinedcutting edge portions 44, 46 respectively cooperate to assist incontrolling the depth of the active cutter fin 30, 31 as it is driven bythe supporting vehicle along the blacktop surface. Also, the outerinclined cutting edge 46 forms a point 48 at its lower forward endwhich, upon commencement of a cutting operation, digs into the blacktopsurface to lower the active cutter fin 30, 31 to the desired level.

As the blacktop cutter attachment 10 is formed with a pair of oppositelyextending cutter fins 30, 31 the cutter may be selectively mounted onthe forward edge 12 of the supporting vehicle with either of the cutterfins 30, 31 depending from the cutter body 20 and to thereby positioneither fin to be active for cutting the blacktop surface. Thus, when onecutter fin 30, 31 is dulled or damaged, the entire cutter may be easilyreversed on the edge 12 of the vehicle to use the other fin. Also, wherethe cutter fins 30, 31 are removable as described, each fin may bereversed on the cutter body to present a new cutting edge, therebyproviding four selectively useable cutting edges 40, 61.

Thus, it can be seen that the blacktop cutter attachment of the presentinvention may be selectively installed on conventional and normallyavailable earth moving equipment to cut a blacktop roadway or the likeas desired to permit, for example, digging a trench for laying,repairing or replacing cables and conduits buried under the roadway.Also, the blacktop cutter attachment of the present invention providesfor guiding the cutter along the blacktop surface with its dependingcutter fin at the desired depth and such that the cutter fin cleanlysevers the blacktop surface without tearing the blacktop along the lineof cut. Further, the blacktop cutter attachment provides for selectivelyusing each of a plurality of cutting edges so that when one cutting edgehas been dulled or damaged, a new cutting edge may be readily put intouse.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, variousmodifications, adaptations and variations of the foregoing specificdisclosure can be made without departing from the teachings of thepresent invention.

I claim:

1. A blacktop cutter attachment adapted to be mounted on the lower edgeof a blade or bucket of a conventional earth moving vehicle comprising acombination surface guide and support for guiding the cutter attachmentalong a blacktop surface and having a rear transversely extending slotfor receiving the lower edge of a blade or bucket of a conventionalearth moving vehicle for supporting the attachment thereon, and adepending cutter plate fin fixed to the combination surface guide andsupport having a forward cutting edge for cutting the blacktop surfaceas the cutter attachment is driven therealong by the earth movingvehicle, the combination surface guide and support having surface guideportions on both lateral sides of the depending cutter plate finengageable with the blacktop surface for assisting in guiding the cutterattachment along the blacktop surface with the cutter plate findepending into the blacktop for cutting the blacktop as the attachmentis driven along the surface by the earth moving vehicle.

2. A blacktop cutter according to claim 1 wherein the cutter comprises apair of said cutter fins fixed to the combination surface guide andsupport and extending in opposite directions therefrom such that thecutter guide attachment can be mounted on said lower edge in either oftwo reverse positions for selectively positioning each cutter fin forcutting the blacktop surface.

3. A blacktop cutter attachment according to claim 2 wherein the forwardcutting edge of each cutter fin comprises a generally concave V-shapedforward cutting edge.

4. A blacktop cutter attachment according to claim 1 wherein the forwardcutting edge of the depending cutter fin comprises a generally concavegenerally V- shaped forward cutting edge.

5. A blacktop cutter attachment according to claim 1 wherein the forwardcutting edge of the depending cutter fin is concave.

6. A blacktop cutter attachment according to claim 1 wherein the cutterfin has a cutting edge at each end thereof and wherein the attachmentcomprises mount ing means for selectively mounting the cutter fin ineither of two reverse positions on the combination surface guide andsupport to selectively employ each cutting edge thereof.

7. A blacktop cutter attachment adapted to be mounted on the lower edgeof a blade or bucket of a conventional earth moving vehicle comprising acombination surface guide and support for guiding the cutter attachmentalong a blacktop surface and having a rear transversely extending slotfor receiving the lower edge of a blade or bucket of a conventionalearth moving vehicle for supporting the attachment thereon, and adepending cutter fix fixed to the combination surface guide and supporthaving a forward cutting edge for cutting the blacktop surface as thecutter attachment is driven therealong by the earth moving vehicle, thecombination surface guide and support having a forward tapered noseforward of the cutter fin for assisting in guiding the cutter attachmentalong the blacktop surface.

1. A blacktop cutter attachment adapted to be mounted on the lower edgeof a blade or bucket of a conventional earth moving vehicle comprising acombination surface guide and support for guiding the cutter attachmentalong a blacktop surface and having a rear transversely extending slotfor receiving the lower edge of a blade or bucket of a conventionalearth moving vehicle for supporting the attachment thereon, and adepending cutter plate fin fixed to the combination surface guide andsupport having a forward cutting edge for cutting the blacktop surfaceas the cutter attachment is driven therealong by the earth movingvehicle, the combination surface guide and support having surface guideportions on both lateral sides of the depending cutter plate finengageable with the blacktop surface for assisting in guiding the cutterattachment along the blacktop surface with the cutter plate findepending into the blacktop for cutting the blacktop as the attachmentis driven along the surface by the earth moving vehicle.
 2. A blacktopcutter according to claim 1 wherein the cutter comprises a pair of saidcutter fins fixed to the combination surface guide and support andextending in opposite directions therefrom such that the cutter guideattachment can be mounted on said lower edge in either of two reversepositions for selectively positioning each cutter fin for cutting theblacktop surface.
 3. A blacktop cutter attachment according to claim 2wherein the forward cutting edge of each cutter fin comprises agenerally concave V-shaped forward cutting edge.
 4. A blacktop cutterattachment according to claim 1 wherein the forward cutting edge of thedepending cutter fin comprises a generally concave generally V-shapedforward cutting edge.
 5. A blacktop cutter attachment according to claim1 wherein the forward cutting edge of the depending cutter fin isconcave.
 6. A blacktop cutter attachment according to claim 1 whereinthe cutter fin has a cutting edge at each end thereof and wherein theattachment comprises mounting means for selectively mounting the cutterfin in either of two reverse positions on the combination surface guideand support to selectively employ each cutting edge thereof.
 7. Ablacktop cutter attachment adapted to be mounted on the lower edge of ablade or bucket of a conventional earth moving vehicle comprising acombination surface guide and support for guiding the cutter attachmentalong a blacktop surface and having a rear transversely extending slotfor receiving the lower edge of a blade or bucket of a conventionalearth moving vehicle for supporting the attachment thereon, and adepending cutter fix fixed to the combination surface guide and supporthaving a forward cutting edge for cutting the blacktop surface as thecutter attachment is driven therealong by the earth moving vehicle, thecombination surface guide and support having a forward tapered noseforward of the cutter fin for assisting in guiding the cutter attachmentalong the blacktop surface.